Healing Light
by Hatter-Break
Summary: When a young woman's healing abilities catch Tobi's interest, how will Sasuke respond? Rated M for later lemon
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This story is a request from HikariHime93. As always, feel free to let me know what you think! Enjoy and happy reading~

Note: OC, Hikari, belongs to HikariHime93

* * *

The air was still and saturated by an intense tension as the two opposing groups of shinobi faced one another. Though the blond hero that stood before her was speaking, all Hikari could hear was the rush of blood in her ears as her heart pounded. Her eyes were focused on one person and one person only, though that individual refused to look her way.

' _Look at me…'_ she urged mentally, her fists clenching. She hadn't seen him since he left Konoha over two years prior. ' _Look at me.'_ The pain she had felt at first had been nearly unbearable. ' _Look at me.'_ The many sleepless nights she had spent, her mind running with all of the awful things that could have befallen him. ' _Look at me.'_ Now he wouldn't give her the time of day. A mournful frustration welled within her, until it erupted from her. "Damnit, look at me Sasuke!" she demanded, fighting back tears. All eyes were suddenly on her, shocked by the outburst from the usually quiet kunoichi. Most important were his eyes. When she looked up to meet his gaze, her dark eyes widened and she let a small gasp escape her lips. They were nothing like she remembered. He had never been the warmest of people, but when he used to look at her, there had always been something there. Now the eyes that were fixed on her were cold and ruthless. Suddenly, her confidence was fading. She shrunk back under his stare.

"Hikari…" Naruto murmured sadly. He returned his blue eyed glare to his old friend, sweeping his arm dramatically in Hikari's direction. "Do you see what you've Sasuke? To me, to Kari-chan, to the village!" Sasuke's attention returned to Naruto, a sneer spreading across his lips.

"I've already told you, I don't care. I've cut those ties. I want the Leaf destroyed. Your pathetic attempt to guilt me won't change anything," he explained, each word like a shard of ice through Hikari's heart.

"That's why…" Naruto started. "That's why I've decided that the next time we fight, I won't hold back, even if it means we both die!" he declared, his eyes burning with determination. Sasuke's lips twitched, but his confident expression didn't falter.

"As if you could bring me down," he taunted. Before things could go any farther, the masked man behind him spoke up.

"Sasuke, let's go." The Uchiha glanced at the mask man, then gave one last sweeping glance over the group before him, his gaze seeming to linger on Hikari, before he vanished. Hikari sank to her knees, old emotional wounds now reopened, feeling as raw as the day he had left.

"Kari-Chan!" Naruto rushed to her side, concerned for his friend. She looked up at him, feeling guilty. She knew he was hurting as well. Slowly, she returned to her feet.

"I'm fine," she reassured.

"Are you sure?" She turned her attention to her grey haired sensei. She could see the exhaustion from his earlier fight clearly on his features. This was taking a toll on him as well.

"Kakashi sensei…" She nodded decisively. "I'm fine. We should go. The others are still vulnerable in the woods." As she spoke, she shot a glance at the pink haired kunoichi responsible for knocking out their allies. Sakura's green eyes betrayed her defeat as she nodded in agreement.

"You're right…" she muttered. Kakashi nodded.

"Very well, let us be on our way. It's important that we report all that's transpired to the village." Everyone nodded and started on their way, aside from Hikari. She hesitated, looking back at where the sharingan user had been standing moments earlier.

"Sasuke…"

"Hikari, come on!" Naruto's voice pulled her focus back to her allies.

"Coming!" she called, running after them.

The hideout was damp and dimly lit, but the shinobi that resided there cared little about comfort. The cavern was ideal for them to hunker down as their schemes came into fruition.

"That girl…" Madara began. Sasuke glanced at the masked man, an eyebrow raised.

"What about her?" he responded, his tone guarded.

"You reacted to her. What happened to the ruthless man that skewered his own ally?" Sasuke scoffed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What is she to you?" he pressed, not for a moment buying the Uchiha's indifferent act.

"Nothing," he growled.

"Then why does the mere mention of her get under your skin?" Sasuke scowled.

"What is it to you?" he demanded. Madara gave a low chuckle. The young man's irritation amused him.

"I need to be sure that she's not a weakness. If she could possibly hinder our plans, she must be eliminated," he explained.

"She won't, just leave her alone!" he snapped, turning to glare at his partner. Madara held his furious stare with his own steady gaze.

"Who is she?" he asked once more. His tone was calm, but there was an underlying sense that he was losing his patience. Sasuke sighed.

"Her name is Hikari Yukimura," he finally stated, looking away from Madara. "She was...an ally to me when we were young." Madara's interest was peaked at the sound of her name.

"Yukimura, you say?" Sasuke nodded. "The women of the Yukimura clan are known for their prowess in medical ninjutsu."

"You don't think I know that, what's your point?"

"Have you forgotten that you just rid us of a medical ninja?"

"She ceased to be of any use to us," Sasuke replied bitterly. Madara nodded.

"Perhaps, but medical ninjutsu is still vital part of a war, do you disagree?" Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"Not her," he finally muttered.

"Oh? And here I thought she meant nothing to you, unless...you're lying?"Sasuke slammed his fist into the nearby wall as his frustration overwhelmed him.

"Shut the hell up!" he snarled. Madara let out another chuckle. He had never seen the boy quite so riled up.

"Very well, I'll drop the subject. Just be sure to keep in mind what I said, Sasuke," he said with an air of warning. Sasuke didn't reply. Madara watched him brood for a moment, before leaving him to his tormented thoughts. He had plans to enact elsewhere.


	2. Chapter 2

_Autumn was creeping in on Konoha, bringing with it a chilly breeze and brightly colored leaves. Making their way towards the Uchiha were a young girl and her father. As they approached the gates, the girl began to inch closer to her father, hiding behind his legs. Waiting for them was an elegant man with an aura of subtle strength. On either side of him stood his sons. The older of the two boys was lithe and handsome. The younger, a boy similar in age to her, had the same good looks as the rest of his family, but clearly lacked the powerful presence of the other two trained shinobi. Despite this, he fascinated the girl, and her eyes remained fixed him from behind her father. He noticed this, and raised a confused eyebrow, causing her to shrink back slightly._

" _Fugaku, my friend!" her father greeted cheerfully. "It's been too long."_

" _Indeed it has, Yuuki. I'm glad to see you've made it safely from the Snow village!" The man, Fugaku's, focus moved to Yuuki's daughter. "And who is this little one?"_

" _This is my daughter, Hikari. Please excuse her behavior, it was a long journey, she's rather tired," he explained. Fugaku chuckled._

" _I would imagine. That's quite a long trip for someone so young. Yuuki, you know Itatchi," He gestured to his older son, who nodded politely. "And this is my youngest son, Sasuke." Yuuki grinned, while Sasuke eyed him with interest. "Sasuke, Hikari is about your age, why don't you show her around?" his father suggested. Hikari's father stepped to the side, pushing the nervous Hikari to the front._

" _H-hi… Sasuke…" she managed to get out, her deep brown eyes avoiding his. A grin suddenly broke out across his face._

" _Nice to meet you, Hikari!"_

* * *

A sigh escaped Hikari's lips.

"Right, Hikari-Chan?" Hearing her name pulled her from her thoughts. She looked over into the concerned pale eyes of her dear friend, Hinata.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Hinata. What were you saying?" she questioned, her mind clearly still elsewhere. Hinata frowned.

"Nevermind that, are you okay? I heard what happened yesterday…" Hikari nodded

"I'm a shinobi, I have to be fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "You know what, I just remembered I have something to do for Kakashi sensei. He's busy, you know, now that he's going to be Hokage and all." Hinata nodded hesitantly. She knew Hikari was making things up, but she could understand her friend's need for time alone.

"Alright, I'll see you later then, Hikari." Hikari gave a small wave before parting ways with Hinata. As she made her way through the village, which was still in the process of being restored after Pain's assault, yesterday's scene continued to play in her head. The memory of Sasuke's cruel sneer stuck with her, sending a pang of sorrow to her chest. The whole village was tense, buzzing with talk of war, yet in that moment war didn't seem nearly as worrying as the idea that the old Sasuke was completely lost to her. Another forlorn sigh left her, and she changed her course for the forest that surrounded Konoha. She walked until she knew she was far enough in to guarantee she wouldn't be disturbed. She settled in a shady a spot, and closed her eyes. She wanted to go into a deep meditation to set her mind at ease, if only for a little, but she was finding it difficult at the moment. She simply couldn't relax. Suddenly, she sensed a presence. Her eyes snapped open, and she scanned her surroundings, reaching for the kunai she kept in the holster in her thigh. She got to her feet, not allowing her guard to drop.

"Who's there?" she demanded. "There's no sense in hiding, I know you're there!" Footsteps approached from behind her and she whirled around. As soon as she saw the flash of orange, her muscles relaxed. Naruto walked up to her, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Hikari, it's fine, it's just me!" She placed her kunai back in its holster.

"You can't sneak up on me like that," she scolded him.

"I'm sorry, I was just worried…" She turned her back to him, looking at the ground.

"You don't need to worry about me, Naruto,"

"I do!" he insisted."I can't lose another friend." The blond's words made her go rigid. She was reminded once again that she wasn't the only one suffering. Her shoulders fell.

"You're right, I'm sorry." She turned to face him once more, now meeting his clear blue eyes. "Maybe we can go enjoy some ramen together?" she offered against her self interest. A smile quickly replaced his heavy expression.

"That would be great!" he agreed eagerly

Hikari tried to return his smile, and he began the walk back to the village. "Don't you worry, Hikari. As long as we stick together, everything will be fine!" He turned to flash her one of his well known reassuring grins. She was surprised to see how hopeful he still was, and suddenly felt ashamed that she had given up hope on Sasuke so easily. For the first time that day, her smile was genuine. She began after her friend.

"Hey, Naruto! You interrupted my meditation, so I think the ramen should be your treat!" she teased. He turned to argue, but as he looked behind him his eyes widened.

"Hikari!" he warned. She tried to turn, but before she knew what was happening, there was a cold blade pressed to her neck. Naruto froze in his tracks, fearful that Hikari would be hurt if he made another move. She heard an unnerving, familiar voice chuckling behind her and knew immediately who it was.

"That's a good fox," the man taunted. Naruto shot him a glare.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" The masked man let out a laugh.

"You don't have to worry about that. Miss Yukimura here will be very useful to us," he assured.

"You bastard!" Hikari snarled.

"You don't frighten me girl. Now, if you would please come with me. We must get going." His tone was calm, but held an underlying threat. Suddenly, a jolt shot through her as the side of his hand slammed into a pressure point on her neck. Within seconds her vision was darkening as her consciousness faded.


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell do you mean?" The blond's furious demand echoed through the office as he slammed his hands down on the table. "Ninja that would abandon their friends are lower than scum, isn't that what you taught us, Kakashi sensei?" The masked man sighed.

"Naruto, we aren't abandoning her," he started. Despite his own desire to charge the remaining Akatsuki to save his beloved student, he thought over his next words carefully. Kakashi didn't the boy to know of impending war that looked over them. "We just don't have many people to spare right now, so we need to think things through carefully. For now I can send my ninja hounds and a couple of men out to search, but they can only search. You've seen what Madara is capable of, even if they find them…" he let out another sigh. None of his words were easing Naruto's fierce glare, and he honestly couldn't blame him. When Naruto had come to him with the news of Hikari's abduction, his thoughts quickly flashed to his childhood friend, Rin. "I'll do all I can, Naruto," he finally said.

"It had better be enough," he growled, before whipping around and storming out of the room. Knowing his student well, Kakashi had a bad feeling that the blond would be formulating his own rescue plan.

* * *

 _Hikari raced through the village, her heart racing. She knew something had been off about Sasuke for the past few days, and her suspicions had been confirmed when she had gone to visit him that evening. His home had been empty and the few possessions he had were gone. As she neared the village gates, she saw a figure leaving them._

" _Sasuke!" She called desperately. "Sasuke, please!" Slowly, he turned to face her, and she slowed to a halt in front of him. His dark gaze rested on her, and his eyes seemed cold. "Where are you going, Sasuke?"_

" _It's high time I leave, Hikari. You know what it is I have to do." His tone was calm and collected._

" _I know, Sasuke. I know the hatred you feel for Itachi, but...I need you here. If you stay, we can help you. You're friends are here for you. I'm here for you!" She was on the verge of tears as she pleaded with him. He was silent for a moment._

" _Friends will only get in my way. You'll get in my way, Hikari." His words struck like a slap to the face. He had always said he wanted her by his side, and now…_

" _You're lying, Sasuke!" she snapped. "To me and to yourself!"_

" _Goodbye, Hikari," he said coolly, ignoring her words. He turned and continued on his way out of Konoha._

"Sasuke!" Hikari bolted straight up at the sound of her own scream. She rubbed he sore neck, and scanned her surroundings. She was lying on a cold, stone floor. The walls were stone as well, and in front of her were bars. She had been captured, she remembered grimly. The air was musky and damp. She got to her feet and walked over to the bars, taking hold of them. Unfortunately for her, they were very sturdy. She let out a frustrated grunt, and looked around the rest of the cell she was stuck in, hoping to find something that could help her get out.

"Oh good, you're awake." Startled by the unexpected voice, Hikari jumped, backing away from the bars as the Madara approached her.

"What do you want with me?" she demanded, sounding braver than she felt.

"I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're worried about. We simply need a ninja that's skilled with medical ninjutsu," he explained.

"There's no way I'll ever use my medical skills on you!" she snapped. "You might as well just kill me!" He let out a laugh at her shaky words.

"It's not me who will need your ninjutsu. Perhaps you'd be more willing to assist your dear friend, Sasuke? I heard you calling out for him." Her eyes widened upon hearing hearing Sasuke's name.

"You brought me here...for Sasuke?" she questioned, unsure how to feel. He nodded.

"For the time being, you'll stay down here. When you're feeling more compliant, we may discuss other living situations for you." She glared at Madara, but said nothing as he turned and left. Her mind buzzed as she tried to process the many emotions that were all assaulting her at once. The anger, the sorrow, the excitement, the fear, and the happiness. She slammed her fist into the wall with scream before falling against, now feeling nothing but defeat.

* * *

"What have you done?" Sasuke's furious shout echoed through the chamber. "I told you to leave her the hell out of this!" Madara was unphased by the boy's anger.

"She would have become involved either way. At least now she's on your side, correct?" He didn't answer. "She'll be of use to us, I'm sure you'll thank me in the end." With nothing left to say, Madara warped away, leaving Sasuke to stew in his rage. He decided that at the very least, he wouldn't allow her to stay in cell. He made his way towards where she was being kept. As he approached, he saw her slumped against the wall. He felt a twinge of sadness at seeing her that way, but quickly brushed it off. He didn't have the room for such emotions, not now

"Get to your feet," he ordered. She looked up at him with a gasp, her deep brown eyes gazing up at him through the black strands of hair that fall over her pale face. Sasuke averted his eyes, not wishing to make meet those eyes of hers. "I said get to your feet," he repeated, a little harsher this time. She did as she said, and he opened the cell door.

"Sasuke…"

"I'm not freeing you, so don't get the wrong idea," he was quick to state. "I'm going to bring you to a more comfortable room. If you try to escape I won't hesitate kill you, Hikari." She nodded slowly. He started on his way and Hikari followed close behind him. Though she knew she was his prisoner, looking at his back as she followed him brought her a strange sense of comfort. It wasn't long before they reached a wooden door. He pushed it open and allowed her inside. It was still dim and damp, and the same cold stone made up the walls and the floor, but at least there was a bed, and a door rather than bars. "Make yourself comfortable," he muttered. "Don't forget, my threat still stands." He turned to leave, but was stopped when she took ahold of his sleeve.

"Sasuke, thank you," she said quietly. His breath hitched in his throat, but he wouldn't allow her to see him react.

"A medic ninja is no use if they don't rest properly." His tone was curt as he provided his reasoning. He could feel her hand trembling as it grasped his sleeve. Slowly, her hand fell. He lingered a moment longer before leaving her alone, closing the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Hikari stared at the bowl of rice porridge that had been left right inside her door. She had heard Sasuke enter to deliver her meal, but hadn't the nerve to face him, so she had remained in her bed, pretending to sleep. With that bowl came a slurry of conflicting thoughts and feelings. She couldn't decide if he had brought her food to show kindness, or out of necessity. In the end the reasons didn't matter, she knew she had to eat and keep her strength up if she had any hope of getting back to Konoha. She slid off of the bed, walked over and grabbed the rice porridge. After a moment she took a hesitant bite. The warm, savory spoonful instantly brought with it a flood of memories. Hikari was left to wonder if Sasuke had made the food himself, as it tasted almost exactly like the porridge his mother used to make them. It brought her a sense of security, or at least it made her feel as safe as she could in her current situation. Upon finishing her food, she set the bowl back down. She wanted to leave her room to survey the compound, but opted to stay put until she knew more about her situation. She situated herself on the bed as comfortably as she could, and waited.

* * *

 _A gentle rain was falling over Konoha, the gloomy atmosphere mirroring the emotions swirling in the pit of Hikari's stomach. Ever since she and her mother had fled to the Leaf village after her father's murder, she had been spending a great deal of time with the Uchihas. It brought a small glimmer of light to her days for the past month. She sat at a kotatsu, Sasuke and Itachi on either side of her, but none of them spoke. Her head was hanging, she hoped that the dark hair draping over her face was enough to hide her tears._

" _Did you have another nightmare, Hikari?" Sasuke finally questioned, concerned._

" _Sasuke!" Itachi scolded, realizing that she didn't want to talk much about it. She shook her head._

" _It's fine. I did have another one…" she said softly. She wiped her eyes and looked up, casting a glance at both of them. "But I need to try and move on." Itachi smiled at the young girl's determination. Sasuke jumped up excitedly._

" _How about we go practice with some shuriken?" he suggested. Itachi shook his head, putting a damper on his brother's eager attitude._

" _You two haven't practiced enough with them yet, throwing them around in this weather would be dangerous," he explained. Sasuke frowned, flopping back down, clearly disappointed. A small smile appeared on Hikari's lips, though the sorrow didn't leave her eyes. The door behind them slid open, drawing their attention. It was the Uchiha boys' mother, Mikoto._

" _I know you kids would rather be outside playing today, but I thought I would cook something up to make this chilly day a little warmer. She walked over and set a bowl in front of each of them. It was a rice porridge. She could tell it was freshly made by the steam rising up from the bowl._

" _Thanks mom!" both boys said cheerfully._

" _Thank you Lady Uchiha," Hikari said in a coy manner. While the other two had already dug in, she was still looking at the bowl. As good ad it smelled, she just didn't have much of an appetite. Not wanting to appear rude, she took a hesitant bite. The moment the food hit her tongue she felt herself relax. The savory warmth of the rice filled her with a comfort she hadn't felt since leaving the Land Hidden in the Snow. She looked over to Sasuke who was clearly enjoying his mother's cooking, and realized that, given time, this place could grow to feel just as safe and just as much like home. A genuine smile finally found its way to her lips._

* * *

"Why should I have to stay behind?" Kiba demanded, an irritated frown creasing his brow. Shikamaru sighed.

"I've already explained this, we can't lose too many people here in the village. Hinata, Ino and Naruto are the closest to Hikari. Hinata and Ino are well suited to a covert rescue, and Naruto...Naruto knows better than all of us how to handle Sasuke," he explained, his tone exasperated. All of the young Konoha shinobi nodded, each of them more than willing to follow Shikamaru's plan. He turned his gaze to the three that would be leaving, each of their eyes blazing. "You guys understand the plan?" Hinata nodded.

"I'll do my best." Ino slammed her fist into her open palm.

"Those guys kidnapped the wrong girl!" Naruto was unusually quiet.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru questioned. Naruto shook his head.

"Even if it means fighting Sasuke, I won't stop until we have Hikari back," he finally stated. Shikamaru nidded.

"Good. You three will leave tonight then, the rest of us will be sure to cover for you while you're gone.." He took one last sweeping glance at those gathered. "We're Leaf shinobi!" he declared. "And we don't leave our friends behind!"

* * *

Hikari was starting to nod off leaning against the cold wall. With little to do in the small, windowless room, sleep wasn't a bad option. She was pulled from her sleepy haze by her door being swung open. She looked up to see the raven haired Uchiha staring her down with cold eyes.

"Join me for some fresh air." Though it was an invitation, there wasn't a hint of warmth in his voice. Hikari sat up.

"Oh, well I-"

"That's an order. We can't have you getting weak sitting around here all day. If you're going to be here, you're going to make yourself useful." He made it clear that there was no room for argument. She got to her feet. Though she didn't dare to say anything, but she kept a defiant gaze fixed on him. She wanted him to know that she hadn't given up.

"Fine, you lead the way," she complied. With a huff, he turned and started out of the room, leaving her to follow.


End file.
